Can one sexy car model make a whole company look good? Detroit has gambled for decades that the answer is yes and sometimes it has been right. The GTO revved up Pontiac's stodgy image in the 60's, much the way the Shelby Mustang put some pizazz...

March 30, 1991, Saturday

Sales of American-made cars and light trucks fell by 11.1 percent in the middle of the month, as demand for new vehicles continued to sputter at recessionary levels. Surveys show consumer confidence has strengthened since February, and dealers...

March 26, 1991, Tuesday

Automotive engineers have puzzled for years over how to use weight-saving plastics in car and truck engines without losing the strength or heat resistance of metal. Now, new economical ways of reinforcing and molding plastics are providing a...

March 20, 1991, Wednesday

Sales of American-made cars and light trucks fell 14.7 percent in early March, deflating auto makers' hopes that euphoria over the quick allied success in the Persian Gulf war would lift vehicle sales out of the current slump. "These numbers are...

March 14, 1991, Thursday

Sales of American-made cars and light trucks fell 4.7 percent in late February, compared with a year earlier, auto makers reported today. Analysts said sales remained fairly weak, but not at the dismally low levels of January. For the month, the...

March 6, 1991, Wednesday

Faced with mounting losses, the Ford Motor Company announced plans today to cut its salaried work force through layoffs and early retirements, in an effort to save $3 billion by the end of the year. Speaking by closed-circuit television to the...

March 1, 1991, Friday

With pressure rising to focus its limited financial resources on mainstream products, the Chrysler Corporation said today that it would stop producing its slow-selling Jeep Grand Wagoneer this fall. The hulking four-wheel-drive vehicle, which for...

February 27, 1991, Wednesday

Sales of cars and light trucks made in the United States continued to fall in mid-February, although the declines were not as steep as those of the last two months. The 10 leading manufacturers reported combined light-vehicle sales of 260,944...

February 26, 1991, Tuesday

Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit ratings of all three top domestic auto makers today, underscoring the rapidly unraveling conditions in the industry and raising the prospect of higher borrowing costs. Analysts said the impact of the...

February 7, 1991, Thursday

Sales of American-made vehicles dropped 31.5 percent in late January, closing a month of drastic sales declines for auto makers buffeted by war and a weak economy. The latest drop is a stark reminder that domestic and foreign auto makers confront...